Fears balloon of a return to civil war over Riek Machar’s treason trial

Fears that South Sudan – the smallest country in the world – could sink in a new civil war that has intensified after the Party of Vice President Rick Maher called for “changing the regime.”

The invitation came after Machar – currently under house arrest – was accused of killing, betrayal and crimes against humanity.

His party, the Liberation of the People’s Liberation of Sudan in the opposition (Splm-Yo), condemned that he was accused of “a magical political chase” to dismantle the peace agreement for the year 2018, which ended a five-year civil war.

Meanwhile, additional forces were deployed from neighboring Uganda in the capital of southern Sudan, Juba, with rising tensions.

The last crisis comes as the United Nations Report of South Sudan was accused of stealing billions of dollars from oil revenues, leaving millions of people without basic services and feeding the deadly conflict.

South Sudan, one of the poorest countries in the world, gained its independence from Sudan in 2011 after decades of struggle led by the People’s Liberation Movement (Splm) during the era of President Salva Kiir.

Just two years after independence, a civil war erupted when Machar was refused as a vice president, accusing him of planning a coup.

The conflict, which followed, which was largely fought on ethnic lines between supporters of the two leaders, led to an estimated 400,000 deaths and 2.5 million people who are forced from their homes – more than five residents.

As part of the peace deal, Machar was returned as a vice president in the unity government, which was supposed to pave the way for the elections.

The current crisis arose at the beginning of March when the White Army militia, which was allied with Machar during the civil war, collided with the army in the Upper Nile State and exceeded a military base in Nasser.

Then, on March 7, a United Nations helicopter that tries to evacuate the forces under fire, leaving many dead, including a high -ranking general.

Nearly three weeks, Machar and many of his partners were placed under the arrest of the house. They were accused of trying to stir a rebellion.

“The possibility of peace and stability in South Sudan has now been at risk,” said Ayet Nathaniel Perrino, deputy leader of Splm-Yo at that time.

Instead of defusing tensions, the government again struck, and hit Machar with a large number of charges – including betrayal, and the final crime against the state – in September.

A few days later, his party climbed this pressure, which led to the condemnation of the Kiir government as a “dictatorship” and demanded “the change of the system.”

In what appeared to be an invitation to arms, it urged its supporters to “report national service” and use “all the means available to restore their country and their sovereignty.”

However, there are no reports indicating that the mobilization of the forces is being implemented, as it provides a glimmer of hope that the fresh fighting will not erupt.

While the inclusion of Machar in the government of unity was a major part of the agreement, no other parts of it were implemented.

The main issue of many southern Sudanese is the security arrangement.

The deal clarified how the former rebels and government soldiers will be collected in a unified national army consisting of 83,000 soldiers. The rest was supposed to be removed.

But this did not happen and there are still many militias aligned with various political groups.

The deal also clarified, with the help of the African Union, to the court that aims to experience the perpetrators of violence. But this has not been created, partly because those who hold some senior positions in the government are hesitating to prepare something that they can see.

The elections that were supposed to happen in 2022 were still not a new constitution.

A report issued by the United Nations Human Rights Committee in South Sudan has accused the country’s political elite of ignoring billions of dollars in oil revenues.

It was published on Tuesday, which was published in 1 -page – a nation looting: How excessive corruption launched the human rights crisis in South Sudan – how the government gathered more than $ 25.2 billion (18.4 billion pounds) of oil, educational and educational revenues.

One of the sections highlighted how the controversial “oil oil” program converted to 2.2 billion dollars to political care areas instead of building roads.

Yasmine Soka, head of the committee, said that corruption has become a “driver of southern Sudan.”

“The billions mean health care and schools disappear through unusual deals and shell companies.”

Justice Minister Joseph Jing Akic rejected the results and the proportions of southern Sudan’s economic problems to conflict, climate change and decrease in crude oil sales.

While Care and Machar, both in the seventies of them, were part of the Splm who fought for independence, there are long -term tensions.

These ethnic divisions – Kiir are Dinka, while Machar is Nuer – and competing political aspirations.

When Kiir Machar was removed in 2013, which led to the civil war, Machar condemned it as a “dictator.”

Create more problems between the two are the repeated effects of the elections.

Opinion polls were delayed four times, leaving a unable to achieve his presidential ambitions while CARE’s perceptions grow up to be the president of life.

Born in 1952, the 72 -year -old was the twenty -seventh son of Ayid and Lier President and grew up in the Arab Church.

As a university student, he studied mechanical engineering at the University of Khartoum and in 1984 he obtained a doctorate in philosophy and strategic planning at Bradford University in the United Kingdom.

The two sides have shifted on several occasions during the battle to separate from Sudan, as it sought to enhance its position and ethnic group.

He became the Vice President of South Sudan in Independence in 2011. Machar was dismissed in 2013 and then returned as part of a deal in 2016, but then fled with the resumption of the fighting.

Born in 1951, the 74 -year -old Romanian Catholic was the son of livestock and the eighth of nine children.

At the age of seventeen, he joined Anyanya, one of the rebel groups that were fighting for southern independence during the first Sudanese civil war in 1967.

The former rebel commander, a military intelligence specialist, was seen as moderate inside SLM and became a leader in 2005 after the death of John Garang in a helicopter accident

He became president of southern Sudan on independence and remained in this position for 14 years as no elections were held.

In March, Nicholas Heissum, head of the United Nations mission in South Sudan, warned that the country “swinging the edge of a return to the civil war on a large scale”, which would destroy the nation that is still dealing with the effects of the recent conflict.

There are concerns that returning to fighting can lead to a “agent war in the region”, according to Daniel Aksh, an analyst in the crisis group in the group of crisis.

“South Sudan is full of many armed groups, and it seems that they are all preparing for military participation.”

The war in neighboring Sudan adds another element of instability.

The leaders of the regional group members – including Uganda – are assumed to be the 2018 deal.

Some Ugandan forces in the country were deployed in March as part of what the South Sudan government said was a long -term agreement to support the army.

This week, a convoy bearing additional Ugandan forces was seen entering Juba on Monday afternoon.

It included seven trucks full of armed soldiers, three armored vehicles and an ambulance – all of this without numbering plates.

This additional unit of Ugandan soldiers has sparked fears that Machar’s trial may turn into violence.

During the weekend, Machar met his defense team before his trial, which is scheduled to start soon – although no date was confirmed.